JONESBORO, AR – A Bono man who caused the death of his four-month-old son will serve 18 years in the Arkansas Department of Correction, Second Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney Scott Ellington said.
Seth Bradley Smith, 27, was convicted of Murder in the Second Degree Monday evening in the death of Anderson Smith. A Craighead County Circuit Court jury made up of six women and six men took about three hours to render the verdict, Ellington said.
The infant was taken to St. Bernards after first responders were called to the home in reference to a baby with difficulty breathing. Resuscitation efforts there failed, and the child was pronounced dead. An autopsy by the Arkansas State Crime Lab showed traumatic brain injuries, contusions, and intramuscular hemorrhage.
Circuit Judge Randy Philhours sentenced Smith to 18 years in the Arkansas Department of Correction.
Deputy prosecutors Charlene Davidson and Tiarra Tanner prosecuted the case. Captain Ron Richardson of the Craighead County Sheriff’s Office was the lead investigator.
“I am pleased that we were able to give a voice to the voiceless and provide justice to an innocent child,” Ellington said. “I appreciate the hard work of Investigator Richardson and the Craighead County Sheriff’s Department for the time spent investigating this matter, as well as Deputy Prosecutors Charlene Davidson and Tiarra Tanner for the many hours they devoted to this case.”